Watches with completely transparent cases – usually made of our favorite crystal material, sapphire glass – have been around for a few years now. Due to the complexity (and cost) of creating those cases lends them to being firmly in the realm of five-figure and up luxury watches. Or, you could jump into the a 22nd Anniversary celebration and keep things decidedly more affordable with the Ritmo Mundo Pegasus.
The Ritmo Mundo Pegasus case
The big story with the Ritmo Mundo Pegasus is, of course, that case. Not only is it completely transparent, it’s coming in with a bold splash, hitting a width of 44mm. Rather than going with the luxury option of sapphire, they’ve instead opted for a reinforced mineral glass. This is not something that can be ordered out of a catalog. It took Ritmo Mundo over a year to find the right supplier that could deliver what they were looking for.
When you’ve got a glass watch case – rather than a durable steel – the big concern is going to be how well it will hold up. With how this glass has been manufactured, it comes in at a 7 on the Mohs hardness scale. What does this mean? It’s actually going to be as scratch-resistant as stainless steel. Sure, you’re not going to wear this while bombing down a mountain bike trail, but it regular daily life, it should hold up quite well.
The dial and movement
When you design a truly clear case, the big challenge has to be figuring out what movement to use, and what to do for a dial that goes with the design while still maintaining legibility. For the movement, the Ritmo Mundo Pegasus utilizes a skeletonized automatic movement. Rather than simply hollowing out components, these are arranged along the centerline of the movement, keeping large open spaces at the top and bottom.
To support those open spaces, there are narrow (when viewed straight on) supports that go out to the edge. These are the full height of the movement, so they’re actually reasonably thick, keeping things solidly in place.
As to the dial, well, there really isn’t one. You’ve got the architectural components of the movement, but that’s it. Nothing separates the hands from the movement. Fortunately, the handset is done in a bold color – and lumed – helping them to stand out from the movement. Additionally, you’ve got the chapter ring, done in either a colored metal or crystals, to help you read out the time accurately.
Wrapping things up
Undoubtedly, clear cases are of interest in the watch world. That Ritmo Mundo was able to figure out a way to bring these down to the realm of affordable luxury is, clearly, a welcome addition to the style. While going for a skeletonized movement could have negatively impacted the usability of the design, we think they’ve managed to avoid that here. In other words, they’ve created a watch that is not just attention-grabbing, it also maintains its original purpose of telling the time.
We have a loaner in right now, so be on the lookout for the full review. If you can’t wait, you can of course order your own right now. Whether you opt for the version with a color bezel inset or the crystals, you’re looking at $3,500 to put the Ritmo Mundo Pegasus on your wrist. You can check out the full range directly over at ritmomundo.com
Ritmo Mundo Pegasus Tech Specs
- Case size: 44mm
- Dial Thickness: 11.3mm
- Crystal type: Mineral Reinforced Glass Mirror
- Movement: mechanical movement, automatic, skeletonized
- Bracelet type: silicone
- Water Resistance: 3 ATM
